In general, the present invention relates to door latches. More specifically, the invention relates to those type of latches which are mounted flush within the edge of a door and are manually operable to extend a latching bolt outwardly from the edge of the door into a securing surface such as a door frame, floor or the like. This type of latch is commonly referred to as a flush bolt.
Flush bolts have found use particularly in double door systems where it is desirable to allow movement of one door while securing the other door in a closed or open position. The flush mounting design is desired because it allows mounting of the latch on the outer edge of each door so that the latch does not protrude from the edge of each door, thereby avoiding the need for a large gap between the two doors.
The prior art flush bolts have been composed of a faceplate and a latch sled which are both formed by casting. The face plate is cast having channels for slidably receiving tracks located on the latch sled which are also formed during casting. Both the channels and tracks are machined after the casting process to insure proper engagement. The process of casting and machining these items provides for a flush bolt which functions normally, however, it would be desirable to produce a flush bolt which is composed of parts produced by stamping of sheet metal.
The versatility of the stamping process would allow formation of tracks or channels on either the faceplate or the latch sled without the need for subsequent machining. Additionally, stamping of sheet metal provides for the economical production of the flush bolts. Stamping the parts for the flush bolt obviates the expensive operations involved in casting, such as the machining of the part to required specifications after the product has been cast. The stamping provided by this invention allows full utilization of the sheet metal. For example, when slots or holes are stamped in the sheet metal, the material from the slots or holes may be formed into useful structures on the faceplate or latch sled.